BMG has grown its recorded music operations in Canada with dedicated A&R, marketing and promotion resources in Toronto for the first time.
The development comes via a partnership with Canadian independent Black Box Music, headed by Jason Murray.
Murray will lead the operation in Canada, reporting to Zach Katz, BMG US President Repertoire & Marketing and Jon Cohen, BMG EVP, Recorded Music.
Black Box Music is home to recording artists including SonReal, Classified, The Glorious Sons, and Shad & Northcote.
Figures from Nielsen show music consumption grew by 14.4% in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016.
BMG has recently signed two of Canada’s biggest stars, singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne and rock band Nickelback.
Nickelback’s new album Feed The Machine was released on June 16 debuting Top 5 in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Lavigne is currently in the studio finishing work on her new full-length album to be released later this year.
Zach Katz said, “Canada has a long history of generating great artists. Canadian people are great music fans. So it is absolutely natural for us to have a strong presence in Canada.
“We have made no secret of our goal to build a recordings business as strong as our presence in music publishing. Scaling up in Canada with a trusted and credible partner like Black Box will enable us to further improve our service to artists.”
Jason Murray said, “In an ever-changing musical landscape that has more than ever before become an industry without borders, it’s exciting to be part of a forward-thinking global music company.
“Watching first hand what their team have built in both the publishing and recorded music businesses, in such a short period, is awe inspiring.”
Said Jon Cohen, “Jason and his team are bright, knowledgeable, well respected and we are confident they will effectively serve as a direct extension of BMG’s current US label hub. We have a great longstanding relationship with Black Box Music and look forward to continuing our partnership.”
According to the 2017 IFPI Global Music Report, Canada is the world’s sixth biggest global music market.Music Business Worldwide
